Slider holder for concealed fastener chain

ABSTRACT

A slider holder for assembling sliders on a concealed slide fastener chain is provided with structural features designed to accept sliders of different types and sizes without having to change the slider receptacle parts. A pair of spring-loaded clamping means are provided for clamping the slider into position in cooperation with a stationary retaining bar with other parts of the device disposed clear of the path of the fastener chain to facilitate the assembling operation.

United States Patent [191 Kawakami [111 3,815,208 [451 June '11, 1974SLIDER HOLDER FOR CONCEALED FASTENER CHAIN [75] Inventor: KoichiKawakami, Toyama, Japan [73] Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha,

Tokyo, Japan 221 Filed: May17, 1973 21 Appl. N0'.= 361,144

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 22, 1972 Japan 47-51004 [52]US. Cl 29/207.5 SL [5i] Int. Cl B23p 19/04 [58] Field of Search 29/207.5SL, 207.5 R, 200 J, 29/200 P [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS3,629,926 l2/l97i Maeda 29/207.5 SL

Primary Examiner-Th0mas H. Eager I 0 ABSTRACT A slider holder forassembling sliders on a concealed slide fastener chain is provided withstructural features designed to accept sliders of different types andsizes without having to change the slider receptacle parts. A pair ofspring-loaded clamping means are provided for clamping the slider intoposition in cooperation with a stationary retaining bar with other partsof the device disposed clear of the path of the fastener chain tofacilitate the assembling operation.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SLIDER HOLDER FOR CONCEALED FASTENER I CHAINBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an assemblingdevice forv of the holder shown as in aposition ready formounting slidefasteners and more particularly to an improved device for releasablyholding sliders while assembling a concealed slide fastener chaintherethrough.

Assembling devices of the type described have been proposed in differentforms but most of them have in volved the complexities in mounting anddismounting I the slider, the difficulty of threading a fastener chainthrough the slider and the inability of holding sliders deviating insize and shape and from those of the particular slider receptacle used.A typical prior art device is known wherein the device comprises aslider receptacle configured to fit the peripheral contour of aparticular slider and a bar member swingable into and away from aposition for locking the slider in assembling position. This prior artdevice requires complicated mechanical arrangements for moving andlocking the bar member. The slider mounting and dismounting operationsaccording to such prior art are very tedious and time-consuming in thatthe bar member must be moved away from the path of the fastener chaininto an inclined position to allow the entry of a slider into a mountingposition, in which instance the bar member comes visually into the wayof the slider each time the latter is manipulated into the sliderreceptacle and the bar member is thereafter moved arcuately intoabutting engagement with the head of the slider to stabilize theposition of the latter. Such assembly work when repeated will imposeincreased fatigue upon the operator. In addition, the slider receptacleis of such a construction which either prohibits the entry therein ofsliders deviating in size and shape from the particular characteristicsof the receptacle, or fails to retain such a deviating slider in stableposition even if it can be forcibly held in the receptacle. It isfurther disadvantageous from the economical and maintenance points ofview to have to change the slider receptacles with changes in the typeand size of sliders to be assembled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Whereas,-it is the primary object of thepresent invention to provide an improved slider holder which is sliderholding capacity such that sliders of differenttypes or deviating in thesize or shape can be received and retained satisfactorily for assemblyon a fastener chain.

With these objects in view, the invention will be readily understoodfrom the following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings showing one specific embodiment only forillustrative purposes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying-drawings:

the slider therein;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the holder holding theslider as in a position ready for assembling a slide fastener chaintherethrough; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on theline VIVI of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF. THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS taken on the line the housing11 and with a bottom opening 14 communicating with the space 12.

Designated at 15 is a vertically movable carriage mounted in the hollowspace 12 in sliding relationship to the inner walls 13. There isprovided according to the invention a slider holding means havingflexibility in the slider holding capacity such that sliders ofdifferent types or deviating is size or shape can be held stably inassembling position relative to a concealed slide fastener chain notshown. This holding means is constituted by a pair of oppositelydisposed jaws l6 pivotally connected as by pivot pins 17 to the carriagel5 and a spring member 18 interposed between the jaws I6 and loaded in abore 19 formed in the upper portion of the carriage. A typical slider 20to which the holder 10 of the invention can be applied has a supportlug20b supporting a locking lever 20c pivotally thereon, a usual pulltab20d linked to the lever 20c and side flange portions which usuallycontain substantially parallel regions20a.

The jaws 16 are provided at their respective lower ends with inwardlydirected clamping hooks 16. for clamping the flange portions 20a of theslider 20 therebetween in a manner hereafter described. Cam surfaces 21contiguous to the inner walls 13 are directed symmetrically inwardly forabutting engagement with the upper ends of the jaws 16 when the latterare raised retractively into a position ready for mounting the slider v20 on the holder 10 as better shown in FIG. 4.

A retaining bar 22 is fixedly connected to the housing" 11 and projectsdownwardly from the lower end thereof. The bar 22 is provided at itsinner side with a cam face 23 disposed for abutting engagement with theslider 20, more specifically with the lever 20c to lift the latter awayfrom the guide channels of the slider through which the fastener chainis to be introduced, as better shown in FIG. 5.

There is provided a handle 24 which is connected via a laterallyextending shaft 25 rotatably to an external wall of the housing 11.Projecting inwardly eccentrically from the connecting shaft 25 is a pin26 which is fixedly connected to the carriage 15 above the pivot pins17, whereby the carriage 1Sis caused to move vertically along the innerwalls 13 of the housing 1 1 as the handle 24 is'rotated;

ln.the operation of the slider holder 10 constructed as above, thehandle 24 is first turned counterclockwise to raise the carriage untilthe upper ends of the respective jaws 16 are brought simultaneously intoabutting engagement with the corresponding cam surfaces2l and arethereby progressively converged toward each other against the tension ofthe spring 18, while the lower ends or hooks 16 of the jaws 16 areconversely diverged away from each other. In this position, the sliderholder 10 is prepared for mounting a slider 20 in a space definedbetween the jaws l6'and the retaining bar 22. 'With the slider 20 thusset in a mounting position as shown in FIG. 3 wherein thewith the jaws16 until the clamping hooks l6 converge and grab the slider 20 by itsparallel flange portions 20a with the lever 20c finally resting againstthe cam face 23 and thereby lifted apart from the path of the fastenerchain as bettershown in FIG. 5. Thus, the slider 20 is securely held inposition by the clamping hooks 16' that are urged by spring 18 in adirection to clamp the slider resiliently therebetween in cooperationwith the retaining bar 22 retaining the slider against displacement. lnthis position, the fastener chain is manipulated through the guidechannels of the slider 20 in well known manner.

Upon assembly of the fastener chain through the slider 20, the handle 24is turned back clockwise until the upward stroke of the carriage 15 islimited by the engagement of the upper ends of the jaws 16 with the camsurfaces 21 thereby returning the holder 10 to the initial positionshown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Advantageously, the assembled slider 20 isreleased by gravity from the holder l0 simply as the opposed clampinghooks 16 move away from each other, without the necessity ofmanipulating any other parts of the device. Thus, the holder 10 is readyfor accepting the next slider in the manner already described,immediately as the preceding assembled slider is released.

It will be understood that the slider holding concept embodied inaccordance with the invention affords flexibility in the holdingcapacity to permit of the placement and anchoring of sliders which maynot'be uniform in size or shape. This is achieved by the arrange- 4 mentof the slider holder 10 in which the spacing or gap between the twoopposed clamping jaws 16 is variable within a range required to conformto the contour of a given slider, and the slider; if it be deviatingfrom standard size or shape, can be flexibly held between the jaws 16that the resiliently biased toward each other by the action of theinterposed spring member 18.

In addition, the mounting and dismounting of sliders is achieved simplyby the reciprocal movement of the carriage 15 operatively associatedwith the jaws 16, without the necessity of operating any complicatedmechanical parts.

I claim: l I

1. A slider holder used for releasably holding sliders while assemblinga concealed slide fastener chain therethrough, said holder comprising ahousing having a longitudinal hollow space in its interior and a bottomopening communicating therewith, a vertically movable carriage mountedin said hollow space, a pair of oppositely disposed jaws for clampingsliders in assembling position therebetween and pivotally connected tosaid carriage for movement therewith, a spring member spanning betweenand connected to said .pair of jaws for normally biasing the same towardeach other at their respective one ends, means for driving saidcarriage, and a retaining bar projecting downwardly from the lower endof said housing opposite to said jaws and cooperating therewith inholding the slider in clamped position. I

2. The slider holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said driving means isa handle rotatably connected to an external wall of said housing andprovided with a pin extending laterally eccentrically therefrom, saidpin being connected to said carriage for causing the latter to move assaid handle is rotated.

3. The slider holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one ends of therespective jaws are configured into the form of coacting clamping hooksmovable towards and away from each other for holding and releasing theslider.

4. The slider holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing isprovided therein with symmetric cam surfaces for abutting engagementwith the other ends region of the flange portions of the slider.

1. A slider holder used for releasably holding sliders while assemblinga concealed slide fastener chain therethrough, said holder comprising ahousing having a longitudinal hollow space in its interior and a bottomopening communicating therewith, a vertically movable carriage mountedin said hollow space, a pair of oppositely disposed jaws for clampingsliders in assembling position therebetween and pivotally connected tosaid carriage for movement therewith, a spring member spanning betweenand connected to said pair of jaws for normally biasing the same towardeach other at their respective one ends, means for driving saidcarriage, and a retaining bar projecting downwardly from the lower endof said housing opposite to said jaws and cooperating therewith inholding the slider in clamped position.
 2. The slider holder as claimedin claim 1 wherein said driving means is a handle rotatably connected toan external wall of said housing and provided with a pin extendinglaterally eccentrically therefrom, said pin being connected to saidcarriage for causing the latter to move as said handle is rotated. 3.The slider holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one ends of therespective jaws are configured into the form of coacting clamping hooksmovable towards and away from each other for holding and releasing theslider.
 4. The slider holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein saId housingis provided therein with symmetric cam surfaces for abutting engagementwith the other ends of the respective jaws to cause said one endsthereof to move towards each other against the tension of said spring.5. The slider holder as claimed in claim 2 wherein said clamping hooksare arranged to hold the parallel region of the flange portions of theslider.